DIY Window Shades: How To Update Dark Roll-Up Shades

When I go home decor shopping, I roam those aisles hunting for the perfect something, when all of a sudden, angels start singing, a soft haze glows around the thing I just found. But that thing is not the right color. Or the right size. Each time this happens, I know it’s just God preventing me a lifetime of hastily made decor decisions, saving me frustration, sadness, and misery over wasted money. See, God has planned for me to run to TJ Maxx, HomeGoods, or Big Lots, or whatever store I’m near… and hallelujah!!! Sure enough, there is something better waiting for me in perfect color and size right there on the shelf.

Not this time.

This time, I was having a come apart over bamboo window shades. I wanted a lighter color shade, 36″ wide. I tore apart the store shelves, ransacked the internet from said aisle, and decided to justsettle for the darker set. They’d still be nice looking in the room, and I had no desire to spend $100 on shades. I mean, $24, you guys. Twenty. Four. Dollars.

I soon grew weary of those dark window shades. I have been trying to go lighter and neutral in my decor choices, and those window shades just weren’t working for me. I had gone back to Big Lots to see if they had come back, but they had none. The local thrift stores and resale places also had nothing to speak of.

I have this thing about using what you have, and going thrifty and frugal to make your house super comfortable and personal. And there was just absolutely no way on God’s green earth, was I going to pay full price for bamboo window shades, when I had a perfectly good set that only ran me $24.

You may remember last month, I joined a whole band of bloggers for a monthly Thrift Store Decor Upcycle Challenge. Despite getting my window shades at a discount store and not a thrift shop, I simply had to share this project with you because it was seriously one of my more frugal projects.

The Rules:

Upcycle an item(s) from a thrift store, resale store, or garage sale into a new piece of decor.

Make sure you follow our board on Pinterest for more upcycled decor inspiration!

So those window shades…

I bleached those little stools last month, and they turned out gorgeous. So (literally last night at 6pm), I took the dark shades down, tossed them in my bath tub with water and bleach, and let them hang out.

At first I ended up with some yellowish ombre stripes because they were rolled up to soak.

I unrolled them and let them soak again. After a drip dry, they hung in the windows to dry over the heater vents. This morning when I came down for my coffee, there were angels singing over these things, y’all. A glow. Little tiny birds flying around tweeting.

Lesson learned. Always follow your gut when you’re out shopping. Whether it’s in a big box store, a salvage yard, or thrift store, there will be times of triumph, and there will be times you just settle.

If you just settle for the dark shades, you may find the angels and birds after you add a little creativity (and bleach) to get exactly what you want. For $24.

I LOVE how these turned out!!! They look so much better and fit your style more, too. Also – can I just curl up in that big comfy chair and snuggle in with those pillows? I’ll just need a hot cuppa, please. 😉 LOL!

Hi Tiffany!! I literally just filled my tub with enough water to cover the blinds, then started pouring the bleach. I would estimate I used about 2 cups of bleach to a bath tub of water. Hope that helps!

Hi Tina! Thank you so much for asking – the shades are holding up awesome! These blinds were pretty cheap to begin with, so I wasn’t sure how great they’d hold up. I’m happy to report the cords are holding up wonderfully. We open and close them a lot in a day, so they do take a beating from myself and the kids.

Hi there, how long did you leave yours in for? Did they lighten any more overnight, after you rinsed and dried them? Curious because mine have been soaking for two hours now with a slight change in the colour (they were very dark orange)